Building automation systems encompass a wide variety of systems that aid in the monitoring and control of various aspects of building operation. Building automation systems include security systems, fire safety systems, lighting systems, and HVAC systems. The elements of a building automation system are widely dispersed throughout a facility. For example, an HVAC system may include temperature sensors and ventilation damper controls, as well as other elements that are located in virtually every area of a facility. Similarly, a security system may have intrusion detection, motion sensors, video cameras and alarm actuators dispersed throughout an entire building or campus. Fire safety systems also include widely dispersed devices in the form of smoke alarms, pull stations and controllers. These building automation systems typically have one or more centralized control stations from which system data may be monitored and various aspects of system operation may be controlled and/or monitored.
Building automation systems may include vast numbers of devices and control points that may be communicated with, monitored, and controlled. Historically, management systems used to display and access data for monitoring and controlling operations of the building automation system have been relatively rigid in their user interface architecture. Because building automation systems are by nature unique to the layout and design of the particular building, maneuvering among displays of various elements of a complex, building automation system using a rigid user interface may be difficult and time consuming for building managers. Further, certain management operations of a building automation system may require that time sensitive information be delivered or identifiable in a timely manner.
The U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/537,975, filed Jun. 29, 2012, and titled “Graphical Symbol Animation with Evaluations for Building Automation Graphics” (the “'975 application”) discloses a novel system having a graphic user interface for displaying and animating graphical symbols for conveying information and alerts regarding a status of devices in one or more buildings. Such system as disclosed in the '975 application supports only one input for an animation of a property of a graphical element in an evaluation, which may be a property of a datapoint, which limits the flexibility for providing symbol animation reflecting information and alerts regarding the status of building devices.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved intuitive interface that allows for information to be delivered or identifiable in a timely manner.